L.A. PARKER: I pledge to waste no more words on Mack

A lot of energy remains after attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

In fact, this may be the best time for me to take my own oath of office, so to speak.

There are no President Abraham Lincoln or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bibles around. Guess, I will just raise my right hand.

“I, Lawrence Aristotle Parker, do solemnly swear, that I will no longer write columns about Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, Joseph ‘JoJo’ Giorgianni, Ralphiel Mack or any other persons facing a laundry list of federal charges until they face trial.”

So, this is it, a farewell tour of sorts, a goodbye to a guy who could have been an inspirational figure but instead combined a torrent of scrutiny, criminal charges, and infamy with a legion of supporters that included felons, a convicted sex offender, drug dealers and thugs.

When the final grammatical mark falls at the end of this column, no more time will be awarded a guy who introduced this capital city to a period of ultimate incompetency.

I know that all the stories, criticisms, and photos attached to Mack and others were not a waste of time, but these horses have been flogged to death with only a trial remaining before they end up behind bars.

Yes, I understand, everybody is innocent until proven guilty. During the fall of Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo, we all received a lesson in federal prosecution methods. These suited lawyers come armed to the teeth with information that damns.

Federal prosecutorial events are not trivial expeditions authored by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. Instead, this magna cum laude Princeton University graduate sniffs out political corruption better than a bloodhound tracks escaped prisoners.

Sure, the information about individual acts of corruption spur intrigue but almost every federal investigation ends with the same result “We find the defendant guilty as charged.”

There is no innocence in Toms Rivers, Passaic, Camden, Hamilton or any other courthouse destination where Fishman federalistas snap open brief cases.

Trenton needs a political bloodletting followed by a diligent effort by voters to not be fooled again by color or camraderie. A failure to make a conscientious choice for a new city leader could plunge this capital city into the depths once suffered by Camden where in 2000 a conviction of then Mayor Milton Milan on bribery, insurance fraud, and money laundering gave that city three corrupted mayors in five elections.

Mack’s tenure must serve as a warning to Trentonians that life can get worse without due diligence in electing a qualified mayor to guide this city toward a real renaissance.

This revelation about the potential of this news space arrived last year when a small mention about a UIH Family Partners event helped the 153-year-old organization raise hundreds of suits for its mens’ shop and “Dress To Impress” effort.

Trenton and surrounding towns have myriad items worthy of investigation, comment, criticism, and inspection. I will not waste another letter that prefaces a word for a sentence about a man who could have been more than a contender.

Instead, as Marlon Brando refrains in “On The Waterfront,” our mayor heads off with a one-way ticket to a Palookaville prison. Mayor Mack can no longer dreams of being a champion of the people, of uplifting a city with potential, of being better than his predecessor Mayor Douglas H. Palmer.

We may have to wait until June before Mayor Mack faces a jury of his peers, but it’s time to prepare for a new leader, a better vision, a more worthy candidate.

These words are not a mayoral epitaph but definitely represent a new beginning to tell other stories about people who faced incredible odds, about guys who start as fast-food hamburger flippers but work their way up to manager, about young girls who were pregnant teenagers but eventually graduated college, about reporters or even a columnist who escaped homelessness and found their way back from addiction.

These stories must be told in greater number than those who won in a walk. Comeback tales offer hope for the beleaguered, destitute, hungry strugglers who call Trenton home.

I intend to write about every newsworthy person or story that can offer a positive message, expose injustice, challenge authorities or right a wrong.

Readers can send me those stories anonymously or with extensive detail.

I will continue to offer perspective on our city, leaders, and world but no longer waste my time on Mayor Tony F. Mack until he steps into court.